Donald Trump: Wind Turbines Near My Scottish Golf Resort Will Ruin The View

AP  |  By Posted: 04/25/2012 10:43 am Updated: 04/25/2012 4:12 pm

EDINBURGH, Scotland - He came, he saw, he blustered.

Donald Trump on Wednesday swept into Scotland's parliament to demand the country end plans for an offshore wind farm he fears will spoil the view at his exclusive new $750-million-pound ($1.2-billion) golf resort.

In a typically blunt display, the New York property tycoon told an inquiry into renewable energy to stop the wind power efforts in the country's north.

"Scotland, if you pursue this policy of these monstrous turbines, Scotland will go broke," he said. "They are ugly, they are noisy and they are dangerous. If Scotland does this, Scotland will be in serious trouble and will lose tourism to places like Ireland, and they are laughing at us."

Members of the committee are looking at how achievable the Scottish government's green targets for 2020 are. The plans for 11 200-foot (60-meter) tall wind turbines are part of the government's goal of positioning itself as a leader in renewable energy.

When challenged to produce hard evidence about his claims on the negative impact of turbines, Trump said: "I am the evidence, I am a world class expert in tourism."

The public gallery burst into laughter.

Trump claimed Scottish leader Alex Salmond and his predecessor Jack McConnell gave him verbal assurances a wind farm would not be built off the coast of his resort.

"They wanted my money," Trump said. "I was lured into buying the site, after I had spent my money they came and announced the plan. At the time I bought the land I felt confident the wind farm was not going to happen."

The inquiry heard that Trump paid 4.5 million pounds ($7.2 million) for the majority of the land eight miles (12km) north of Aberdeen in January 2006. The resort is due to open on July 10.

There was an irony to Trump's complaints: When Salmond backed Trump's plans for the result, he was hailed a "great man" by the tycoon.

But Trump turned on the leader over plans to put the wind turbine farm off the coast and within view of the golf course. He claims the turbines will ruin the environment and will be bad for tourism.

The course was built on sand dunes despite protests from locals and environmentalists. The dunes, which were home to rare wading birds, were bulldozed to make way for the fairways in 2009 and 2010.

Scotland's tourism agency said its own research shows 83 per cent of UK visitors will not be turned off by turbines.

"We are both reassured and encouraged by the findings of our survey which suggest that, at the current time, the overwhelming majority of consumers do not feel wind farms spoil the look of the countryside," said VisitScotland chief Malcolm Roughead.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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EDINBURGH, Scotland - He came, he saw, he blustered.Donald Trump on Wednesday swept into Scotland's parliament to demand the country end plans for an offshore wind farm he fears will spoil the view at...
EDINBURGH, Scotland - He came, he saw, he blustered.Donald Trump on Wednesday swept into Scotland's parliament to demand the country end plans for an offshore wind farm he fears will spoil the view at...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ColoradoCool
Proud Liberal, Graduate Degree, Mother, Grandmothe
02:38 AM on 04/27/2012
Could this guy be any more ignorant and narcissistic?
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
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06:09 PM on 04/26/2012
gross

"The course was built on sand dunes despite protests from locals and environmentalists. The dunes, which were home to rare wading birds, were bulldozed to make way for the fairways in 2009 and 2010."
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Rimser
02:35 PM on 04/26/2012
"I am the evidence, I am a world class expert in tourism."

The public gallery burst into laughter.

Perfect response. And people wonder where the expression "Ugly American" comes from...
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jacobomorales
10:07 AM on 04/26/2012
Nobody really cares what you think,,,
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ochaye
08:37 AM on 04/26/2012
Scotland demands the US nix donald trump.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
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kareemachan
watashi ha tororu ga oroka da to omoi masu。
11:33 AM on 04/26/2012
US sez, "You betcha!"
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
BBinMT
Is this a 5 minute argument or the full half hour?
02:53 AM on 04/26/2012
Trump is gettting tiresome. Fire him.
12:07 AM on 04/26/2012
Seriously, 11 turbines will ruin his golf course? I hope the Scots tell him where to go.
fuzzychickens
The higher the power, the bigger the lies
11:05 PM on 04/25/2012
Man, I sure hope his ticker is about to quit and Cheney used the last donor heart compatible with jackasses.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Dale Chan
Hope is both panacea and poison.
11:31 PM on 04/25/2012
OOOooooooh! Zing F&F!
08:09 PM on 04/25/2012
Typical of the 1% to only think about themselves.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Lewis Bartholomew
Founder The Alberni Project
04:46 PM on 04/25/2012
Shhhhh, don't tell him about Yellowstone, he will be tempted to bulldoze it and put in luxury spas.
04:21 PM on 04/25/2012
F-OFF Freak------
06:36 PM on 04/25/2012
Heh heh
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Brad North
03:46 PM on 04/25/2012
He bet 7.2 million against an 83% popular approval of wind farms. Yeah, what a business genius.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Mike vdB
Get involved, always question, don't just exist.
03:46 PM on 04/25/2012
Every time I hear Mr. Trump speak, all I can hear is, "Blah, blah, blah..."
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ILoveFiction
That's unbelievable!
03:09 PM on 04/25/2012
Scotland. You're fired.

Take Nessie with you on the way out.
06:38 PM on 04/25/2012
"You're a great country and I respect you. But go." To Ivanka: "The choice was clear. Scotland had to go."
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Hugatreetoday
Do or do not, there is no try.
03:00 PM on 04/25/2012
I hope the Scots told him to go F himself.